Semper Feisty with USMC Life

We're talking with Judy Davis from The Direction Diva to discuss stress relief, empowerment and personal growth in our military world. Judy is a motivational speaker, author and blogger who specializes in advocating for and supporting the military community.  One of her philosophies is focusing on "one moment at a time" to empower others with coping strategies to help ease the challenges in our lifestyle. Connect with her blog for T.I.P.s (tools, information and perspective) that will help you make the most of your life. We're sorry to report that we will be giving up Semper Fiesty Radio for the mostpart. It's a lot of work booking guests and getting the show on the air; Kristine is uber busy with USMC Life and Jackie will be moving to Korea this summer, so we are calling it a day with the show. However, we may occasionally do a show in the future, but nothing on a regular basis. Thank you for supporting our radio show and podcast; we've loved every minute of it.

We've got Kalen Arreola with us, the founder of Stars and Stripes Marketing and PR as well as Pinups for Patriots.  She is an Army Veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and is active in the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation in San Diego, Calif., VeteransPlus in Tampa, Fla., Women Veterans of Colorado, Honoring Our Fallen, San Diego Military Affairs Committee. We have some fun with a bit of pin-up quizzing and then come back with a big Q&A featuring Hugh Heffner and Playboy, since it was the magazine that made Alberto Vargas (a painter of pinups) so popular.   We mention the before and after pictures of pinup models and also a video of how photoshop modifies women's bodies.  

We're looking forward to some big laughs with Former U.S. Marine, Police Officer and Firefighter turned National Headlining Comedian, Travis Howze protected America's citizens for over 14 years, and now he's making fun of them! Whether dodging bullets, chasing bad guys or running into burning buildings he is always Funny Under Fire!   Having appeared on NBC's Night Shift with Kevin Ferguson, Travis has also been Voted, Stand Up Comedy's Mouth of the South and Charleston, South Carolinas Funniest Person. He has also been referred to as The Military and Emergency Services Voice of Comedy. In addition to making fun of the general public he includes his own humility from being a Ludicrous Police Officer, being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Military, Family, Married Life and more. In Travis's mind, his days of protecting are neither over, leaving no one safe nor anything off limits! His motto is simple "If you are able to laugh at someone else's pain and misfortunes, then you had better be able to laugh at your own!" Connect with Travis on Facebook or website. Next we're bringing a guest caller to play "Name that Travis" on the show, followed by a game to see if Jackie and Kristine can guess the incorrect acronym. Join us!

Today's Topic: Learning to Party, Half Pint Style This week's feature guest is El Brown, the founder of KinderJam which focuses kids on music, movement, learning, and fun! We’re going to be dishing: How you can follow your passion and start a business in our military lifestyle like El did.Getting over hurdles and roadblocks.  Finding the time to do it all.  Best practices for our kids today. Jackie drops the bomb about Kanye's new Bound 2 video with Kim Kardashian, but we prefer the spoof by James Franco and Seth Rogan.  Don't miss a beat with the side by side action. Check out why we love El so much.  She’s done such great things for our military community: She a wife, mother, and teacher, who holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Masters of Science in Early Childhood Education.Some years later, her life was further enriched by the birth of her son. After becoming a Military spouse and mom, El made it her personal and professional goal to advocate and provide enrichment for Early Childhood Education and Military children. Being an Army wife, El understands the unique needs of families that proudly serve our country. With this knowledge she sought to develop a program that would empower military spouses by providing them with a completely mobile career option while enriching the lives of the young learners in our community.

Consider this the first show of Semper Feisty 2.0.  We're getting a little more crazy and playing a few games to keep your mind guessing! Today's Topic: For the Love of School Each week we'll be visiting a general topic and will be playing a game on behalf of someone.  Today we are playing for a Marine who has EAS'd, Shawn Eckhart.  If we win on Shawn's behalf, his face will be superimposed on someone else's body all in good fun, and featured on USMC Life's Facebook Page.   This week's feature guest is Craig Gilman from American Military University.  We're going to be dishing: If online school is right for you?How to get money for school?Choosing the right degree?How to set yourself up for success. We reference a few things on this week's shows, here are the links to the MyCAA program, scholarships, and MCM route map.  Check out Craig's bio for more information about him: Craig is currently an online faculty member and military outreach coordinator with American Military University.  He is a veteran who served for five years in the Marine Corps.  He's taught as a public school teacher in Virginia, at Korea International School in Seoul, Korea, and English in the public middle school system in Tokyo, Japan.

Have you taken MOAA's Military Spouse Survey?  Now through 10/16/13. Lock and Load Java Carl from Lock-N-Load Java is giving us a some coffee lessons. Learn how this veteran and wife Lori started their own business and how they give back to charities.   They send donated coffee to deployed troops so they know how much they're appreciated. If you want to purchase some coffee to send, you can get a 15% discount and free shipping!  "Like" them on Facebook or Twitter.   Coupon code: usmclife for a 10% discount! USMCSO Cassandra Bratcher, co-founder of USMCSO (United Support for Marine Corps Signicant Others) with friend Christine joins us.  Cassandra is also Mrs. District of Columbia Exquisite and we're going to ask her about her volunteerism and how it lead her to her sash and crown, but also how their organization helped gather 160 evening gowns for Operation Ball Gown. "Like" them on FB USMCSO and Twitter.  We're going to have a bit of fun with Cassandra and Abbey, our program manager to see who knows the most about the pageants.

The Rosie Network: Connecting You to Jobs We're talking to Navy spouses Stephanie Brown and Jill Ivie to discuss their new organization, The Rosie Network, which is helping to combat the problem of veteran and military spouse employment. The Rosie Network allows users to register on their site and create a customizable website which is free to military spouses and veteran entrepreneurs. Their organization was recently featured in Women's Day Magazine and has received a fiscal scholarship agreement from Naval Special Warfare Foundation. The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund: Changing Lives of our Wounded Warriors We're interviewing Karen Guenther, CEO of the Semper Fi Fund, a non-profit which provides immediate financial support for injured and critically ill members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. They direct urgently needed resources to post 9-11 service members within 24-72 hours of request. Both the Semper Fi Fund and America's Fund are ranked as some of the best run charities around with an average 6% overhead, and the rest goes to helping others.  Since 2004, the fund has issued more than 62,000 grants totaling more than $80 million to over 10,200 of our heroes and their families. They are there from day one, and our service members and their families will continue to need our help as they navigate lengthy recoveries and rejoin their communities.

Join in as we discuss the 5 Love Languages Military Edition book with authors Jocelyn Green and Gary Chapman. The 5 Love Languages has helped military couples heal broken relationships and strengthen healthy relationships. Special features include: Stories of military couples who have found ways to use the 5 love languages in their unique lifestyles. A Decoding Deployments section offering tips on how to express love when you are apart. Love Language Scramblers, explains how to speak the love languages through some of the most challenging times of a military marriage. An updated Q&A section specific to military.   Next we're interviewing authors Holly Scherer and Kathie Hightower on their newly released book, Military Spouse Journey, which helps readers craft their best life possible.This book will help you: Explore your passions, strengths, and goals. Discover possibilities for the life you want to live. Create an action plan to move forward, even when you think it's impossible. Learn five keys to happiness you can apply Build valuable friendships and support systemsENTER NOW for your chance to win with our book giveaway!

Jane Pamphile from Next Step Care Placement will be joining us to discuss how to deal with finding care for elderly family members, a challenging situation for many of us because of the geographical distances. She'll also provide some good lessons learned. Terri Barnes from Stars and Stripes Newspaper will be joining us to discuss her "Spousecalls" articles and her current projects there. If you have submissions for Terri, you can connect with her by emailing: spousecalls@stripes.com Terri has also recently ventured into the publishing business with Elva Resa as their special projects editor. We're going to discuss her love of books and how her passion for discovering resources has transitioned into another opportunity to help military families.

We are thrilled to have Mrs. Bonnie Amos join Semper Feisty Radio. Join us as we discuss her trip to Afghanistan this winter and what it took to get her there.  We also are discussing her recent trips to Iwakuni and Okinawa and how the landscape is changing overseas for our military families. We also delve into how she has managed to raise kids and find work throughout the years.  Did you know Mrs. Amos "managed banks, started up an aerobic dance exercise class, and operated multiple ice cream franchises and even sold residential real estate!" We discuss her Recommended Reading List and the changes that will be coming on it shortly.  She is a pillar in our Marine Corps community and is accessible to everyone. You can follow Mrs. Amos through her Facebook page.    

We’re interviewing Betty Turnbull, Author of “A Sergeant in the House” where she tells the story of Lenny who desperately wants a puppy. His father is in the military, the family must move frequently, and Lenny is still very young to care for an animal, so Lenny strikes a bargain: When his daddy becomes a sergeant, Lenny can have a puppy. When his father is deployed to war, Lenny learns what it means to be responsible, to care for his family, and to help around the house. A dreaded phone call brings the news that Lenny’s father has been injured and is being sent home. When Lenny’s father explains that this means he’ll never become a sergeant, Lenny realizes that what he truly wants is his daddy–puppy or no puppy. Enter to win a copy here! Next we’re talking about the new Dress Blues for females and the cost of uniform research between the services.

We're highlighting a few new businesses we recently discovered and love.  Many of us are entrepreneurs and we want to know how these businesses got their start and why customers love them.  Maybe you can find some inspiration and tips for your own business. Sseko Designs: We met the founder of Sseko, Ben, at an INC conference and he’s doing amazing things. He has a brilliant shoe which allows people to simply switch the ribbons out for a new color and look.  We talked to Ben about making a Marine Corps Ribbon and providing a portion of the proceeds to the Semper Fi Fund and he agreed!  We can’t wait to show you the finished product. Molly’s Suds: We were given a package of all natural laundry detergent and Abbey is going to offer her opinions on the product. We’re also going to ask Monica Leonard, the founder of Molly's Suds, how she followed her dreams of starting a business which is good for the environment and also her family. Commissary Closures: This week starts the beginning of the commissary closures on Monday.  If your Commissary is normally closed on Monday, then they will now be closed Monday and Tuesday. 

Join us as we discuss Dogs on Deployment with Alisa Johnson and how they help foster pets for our service members when they are sent on deployments or out of the country.  You can "like" their Facebook page, or sign the Change.org pledge to require bases to change their policies to standardize breed policies on base.  Next we interview Stephen Peters, President of the American Military Partner Association on the repeal of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) and how it is impacting gay and lesbian servicemembers lives and what we can expect in the future.  We also discuss life as a gay Marine before Don't Ask, Don't Tell was repealed and why families previously denied these benefits deserve them. You can connect with them on Facebook as well.  

Segment One: Back to the Roots has developed an amazing AquaFarm... it's a self-cleaning fish tank which grows food, all in one!  We're going to be giving away a kit on usmclife.com so enter to win yours here. We met Alex at an INC Magazine event and fell in love with their 'home grow" mushroom kit and how they support our kids in elementary schools.  On the episode Alejandro mentions kits are shipped within two days, he wanted to let you know that kits are shipped within two weeks. Claim your 10% coupon from the founder by emailng alexATbacktotheroots.com   Segment Two: Are you a woman entrepreneur looking for business savvy help? Even better, free help?  We met Stephanie at the same INC Magazine event as Alex (above) and wanted to share her company with all of you military spouse entrepreneurs.  Chic CEO covers all the bases of entrepreneurship including starting a business, inventing a product, buying a franchise, and home business help.

We're welcoming Jen from People I want to Punch in the Throat and author of "I Just Want to Pee Alone" which delves into life and motherhood. The book description states, "Motherhood is the toughest - and funniest - job you'll ever love. Raising kids is hard work. The pay sucks, your boss is a tyrant, and the working conditions are pitiful."   We're going to dish some funny mom stories and I'm sure Jackie and Jen will let us know what they think about the Elf on the Shelf mommas (me included!) Next we have Scott Halliwell from USAA joining us to discuss 529 College Savings Day, investment advice and accounts for your child's future. My favorite? Anyone can deposit to them, i.e. grandparents! Instead of a million McDonald toys and crap from the dollar store, they can actually contribute to their future! Brilliant!!

Elaine has written The Road Home: Smoothing the Transition Back from Deployment, which covers the challenges of reunion and reintegration. This book is on Mrs. Amos' Recommended Reading List. You can follow Elaine on her blog to stay connected as well.  Next we're connecting with Mia, Camp Pendleton's Stroller Warriors organizer. All athletic abilities are welcome. Learn about this free club which is offered around several bases and how you can get fit, make new friends, and have a playdate for your kids all at the same time.

We're talking about emergency preparedness and what you need to do to be prepared in your home. Here's the link to the USB solar charger device we talked about from Amazon.com Lisa Parrott joins us to discuss career transitions, job skills and more. We're dishing:  Challenges Veterans and their families face transitioning - 'translating skills and experiences' How to overcome the spouse moving stigma for an employer Using LinkedIn and targeted networking to your advantage Accomplishment versus job description resume Building a career path for your dream job   Listen in as we discuss our Memorial Day plans and what you can do to honor others.  

We're talking with Mary Reding, President of the Military Spouse JD Network, a Bar Association for military spouses and a foundation to help military families. The goal of the organization is to support the military community and has a grassroots network of advocates across the country.   Are you a military spouse lawyer? Join them for a luncheon and full day symposium in Washington, DC on May 22nd.  Jackie and I dishing the 1% Manhattan social elite who have been hiring disabled "tour guides" at Disney World to cut the line. We're also talking about the Volt Military Heroes Program

Jackie and I are dishing thank you cards, dishing traditions including May Day, Saint Patrick's Day, Easter, and more.  Join us on an interview with Danielle Herzog, mom blogger and author of Martinis and Minivans, a fun and hilarious look at motherhood. We're talking about divorce in our world, motherhood, and our fascination with Kim Kardashian and celebs, and the inappropriate things our kids do to strangers. *We're going to miss taking your live calls today, we pre-recorded the show for booking purposes*    

We've taken a small break and are so happy to be back with all of you! We've got a great show for you today: 1. Wounded Warrior, Wounded Home with Marshele Carter Waddel. She delves into her personal life dealing her husband's PTSD and TBI at home. Marshele is married to a retired Navy Seal and the book delves into their marriage and how their children were affected. She goes onto interview 25 other families affected with post traumatic stress and more. The book is co-authored by Vietnam Veteran and Marine, Dr. Kelly Orr. The resource Marshele mentions for anonymous counseling is Hope for the Heart online communities. Click to win one of three books at USMC Life. 2. We're interviewing military children because April is the month of the military child! Join us as we ask questions to some of our favorite kids and adults, ages 4 to 16.